Another bumpy road and I fell off the wagon! 🙂
After watching Rachel’s last video, which I just finished last night – I spent over a week watching that video and other than a few videos from our local weatherman, that was the only video I watched . . so after I watched the front part of the video where she talked about how hard it is to get linen to dye and then several shop owners mentioned how hard it was to get Picture This Plus linen, and Jo told me about a shop that had some Picture This Plus linen, so I ordered three pieces from there. I’m using Up in the Attic by Fox & Rabbit for Thirza Priscilla Dawes. While testing some of the floss colors on it, I realized how much I love it and looked for more, couldn’t find it anywhere, then found some at Fat Quarter Shop so I got that.
Yesterday two packages of linen arrived and I was thinking . . it’s my duty to share info about good linen and where to find it, right?
First is the Up in the Attic from Fat Quarter Shop. It’s 36 count and 40 count.
Notice the difference in color. Could be the way one count takes the color; could be a different dye lot.
One thing that’s a bit frustrating but I understand how it happens . . a hole almost in the middle of one piece.
At least I know it’s there. I put a note in the bag “Watch for hole!” so I will cut around it.
The second package contained two pieces of Picture This Plus and one piece of Fortnight Fabrics’ linen.
On the left is 40 count Swank from Fortnight. I wanted to try their linen so this is a 13″ x 17″ piece. The middle piece is 40 count Legacy by Picture This Plus. The piece on the right is Relic by Picture This Plus. I used a piece of Relic for the ABCD by La-D-Da that I did earlier this year and loved it and have been looking for more since I used it so I was really glad to find that.
I do have a lot of linen but I was looking back at my spreadsheet and considering how much I’ve used this year – and that means how much I’ve started, which effectively is taking linen out of the stash whether I’ve finished it or not, and then looking at how much linen I’ve purchased, I’m still in the “net used” category so that’s not bad and I don’t feel like I’m being extravagant by ordering these five pieces of linen.
You’ve seen pictures I’ve shared trying to choose linen for a project and sometimes, I can pull 10 pieces of fabric and nine of them just don’t work with the floss colors. I feel like having a good selection of linen is pretty important, especially these days when linen, especially 40 count, isn’t easy to find.
Kathy says
Hi Judy! Just curious…when you purchase linen to stash, how much do you typically buy? I think when you’re trying a new dyer, a small piece makes sense…but when you know that you love the dyer? Or the color? What if its a new color from a proven dyer? I suppose it depends at least a little on the thread count. Anyhow, thanks for sharing.
justquiltin says
We’re going to have to put higher sides on that wagon! 🙂 Very pretty colors – i especially love the Relic. That is a gorgeous color!
Becky Roberts says
Gorgeous fabric, however, “Oh my word!” At the price we pay for a fat quarter of linnen I would send it back if it had a hole!
Cindy F says
Love those colors! I almost ordered but then I thought about the problems I’m having with the SAL with you and Jo. I’ve had to frog numerous times and thought I was doing really well but when I went to add the leaves at the bottom of the third pumpkin I saw I was off on the leaves from the previous pumpkin. I decided to change it a little to make it work. So, I think linen is still a maybe even though I had purchased some for future projects. Maybe I shouldn’t be stitching on linen when I’m tired…lol
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I don’t know. Some days it seems like every stitch I take is wrong and other days, I look back at what I did and am amazed I did so much without mistakes. Hang in there. It does get better.
Cindy F says
Thanks for the encouragement! I have to say I really love the way linen feels in the hand and how easily the thread moves through it!